| Date | November 2016 | Marks available | 20 | Reference code | 16N.3op5a.HL.TZ0.1 |
| Level | Higher level only | Paper | Paper 3 (Aspects of the history of Europe and the Middle East) - last exams 2016) | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Discuss | Question number | 1 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
“Failure to solve the political challenges of the ancien régime caused the French Revolution.” Discuss.
Markscheme
Candidates are required to consider the merits or otherwise of the argument that the French Revolution was caused by the failure to resolve the political problems of the ancien régime. Other possible causes of the Revolution could also be discussed such as economic and social factors and the impact of new ideas from the Enlightenment.
Indicative content
- The political challenges of the ancien régime may be interpreted broadly. They could include the weakness of Louis XVI, the unpopularity of the queen, the division of French society into the three estates and the rising power of the bourgeoisie. They could also cover the various attempts at earlier reform, for example, by Turgot, as well as the events of 1789 such as the
Tennis Court Oath and the fall of the Bastille. - For balance, candidates could argue that economic problems were more important causes of the Revolution and/or that Enlightenment ideas played a key role.
- For economic problems, they could discuss the poor harvests of the 1780s and/or the food riots in early 1789. There were also the financial problems of the French state, aggravated by French intervention in the American War of Independence, although arguably this factor could also be tied to political challenges.
- Enlightenment ideas, again linked in some cases to French experience in the American War of Independence, could also be argued to have played a significant role in the genesis of the Revolution.
- Candidates may note the interrelated nature of various types of factors and argue that it was a combination of factors that caused the Revolution.
The above material is an indication of what candidates may elect to write about in their responses. However, the list is not exhaustive and no set answer is required.
Examiners are reminded of the need to apply the markbands that provide the “best fit” to the responses given by candidates and to award credit wherever it is possible to do so.
[20 marks]
